Michael Jackson once sang that "it doesn't matter if you're black or white," but it's not that simple.

Just ask author Joan Steinau Lester, who has spent much of her career exploring biracial identity in nonfiction work. In her new book "Black, White, Other: In Search of Nina Armstrong," Lester has written her first young adult novel on the subject.

"Since my family is biracial, the topic of 'race' - what it is, its boundaries, who created the concept, what does it mean - has long been my beat," she says. "After three nonfiction books and hundreds of op-eds, I wanted to explore similar issues using the freedom of fiction."

Although "Black, White, Other" is characterized as YA fiction, Lester says she did not set out to write within that genre - and she says the book appeals to a much broader audience than simply "young adults."

"The voice that emerged from my two 15-year-old protagonists - one contemporary, one historical - sounded appropriate as a YA," Lester says. "It felt natural to write in that voice. Memories of both myself at 15 and my daughter, as well as other teens, surfaced easily."

Just how much of herself did Lester put into the character of Nina? Like Nina, Lester ran away at 13 - though she returned before dark that same day. But the author and her character both come from biracial families, and Nina's story hinges on the desire to discover and understand one's identity.

"I certainly drew on the feelings of abandonment, hurt and anger that led me to (run away)," Lester says. "My adult understanding of the need to search for answers within became the inspiration for Nina's ability to ultimately self-reflect and understand her own role in creating her dilemmas, and her power to influence them."

"Black, White, Other" is an important reflection of racial identity that is often left out of the discussion. Lester says that being biracial was once spoken of simply in terms of "passing." But with a biracial president, Lester says, it has become a topic less easily ignored by those who are comfortable seeing race as a matter of one or the other.

"There is so much awareness about cultural identity, and President Obama's visibility has expanded the discussion," Lester says. "Much writing on this topic is nonfiction - perhaps we are at a stage where people simply need to let their stories spill out."